As a community college business instructor, I must stay current on the latest business developments and technologies. I have incorporated three things into my continuing education regimen that I have found helpful.
- Newspaper Business Section: Every morning with breakfast I digest the previous day's news. This section highlights the most important and relevant happenings and can be completed in ten minutes or less.
- Industry Books: As a management student at the Marriott School, we selected and read a new book each semester. I continue this practice today. If I find myself undereducated or just interested in a certain business topic, I buy and read a book.
- Continuing Education Classes and Seminars: Many colleges and organizations offer
short-term classes and seminars where experts share their knowledge and experience with inquiring minds. Topics from market globalization to PowerPoint presentations are taught to any willing taker. Staying current in today's fast-paced, high-tech business world is not an easy challenge; however, these three methods have helped me become better informed and more thoroughly prepared.
Gene Blackum III
Marketing/Management Instructor
Santiago Canyon College, California
BS Business Marketing '92
There are two aspects to this issue the one intellectual and the other the actual purchase of physical assets. For the non-technician, staying on par intellectually will often be reasonably accomplished through reading the right technical trade journals associated with the respective line of business. Staying current with "owning the latest technology" on the other hand, can be a losing proposition because of technology's rapid expansion. It's not a bad idea in technology planning to separate "infrastructure" from "applications." Infrastructure involves the platform-type materials that must be in place for the individual applications to play. Base infrastructure should be sufficiently up-to-date and flexible to allow the entity in question to run the software necessary to effectively compete. With this in place, the purchase decision for individual applications becomes a fairly straightforward question of return on investment.
Matt Weed
Assistant Vice President, E-business
Intermountain Health Care
Salt Lake City, Utah
MBA '84
The ability to keep current with business and technology may mean the difference between growth and stagnation on your career path. There are many simple things to do to maintain a cutting edge. Nourish an appetite for reading. Surround yourself with worthwhile newspapers, trade journals, and literature. Clip articles of note to keep in a travel folder to read on airplanes, while commuting, or at the doctor's office.
Make scripture study the foundation of your learning program. Consider your time your most valuable resource and invest wisely. Surfing the Internet and watching television are two of the greatest time wasters in our century. Philo Farnsworth, the inventor of television, wouldn't let his own children watch it. When making technological purchases for work or home, consider the use and ask yourself, "Will this make my life easier?" Take advantage of customer service, training, installation, and maintenance contracts provided by the seller. These options will save valuable time and make use of the product more effective.
The late Camilla Kimball took one class a year throughout her life following her college
graduation. Community colleges and local school districts offer technological training at
reasonable prices. Education slows aging and keeps you both interested and interesting.
Andrea Woodfield
Portland, Oregon
MAcc '01
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Alumni Exchange: A forum for alumni to share ideas about challenges facing Marriott School graduates